Friday, 17 June 2016

British Labour MP shot and stabbed to death

Update: The
West Yorkshire Police reports that Jo Cox has died as a result of her
injuries. The police also adds that a full probe is under way to
establish motive. It remains to be seen if the Brexit referendum vote
will be delayed as a result of this death.

Update: 52-year-old
man arrested after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot in street outside her
constituency surgery has been named as Tommy Mair. A brief
public data history search reveals that Mair
had psychological problems:

Thomas
Mair, 46, started volunteering at the park after learning about the
opportunity through the Mirfield-based Pathways Day Centre for adults
with mental health problems.
He said: "I can honestly say it has done me more good than all
the psychotherapy and medication in the world. "Many people who
suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected
from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common mainly caused
by long-term unemployment.

"All these problems
are alleviated by doing voluntary work. Getting out of the house and
meeting new people is a good thing, but more important in my view is
doing physically demanding and useful labour.

"When you have
finished there is a feeling of achievement which is emotionally
rewarding and psychologically fulfilling.

"For people for whom
full-time, paid employment is not possible for a variety of reasons,
voluntary work offers a socially positive and therapeutic
alternative."

A single
eyewitness also claimed (unconfirmed) that the assailant “apparently”
shouted “Britain First” during the attack, but this is pure
hearsay at the moment.

There is LOTS of use of
words such as “apparently” and “allegedly”.

That hasn’t stopped the
media publishing multiple articles condemning Britain First for
somehow being involved.

Britain First obviously
is NOT involved and would never encourage behaviour of this sort.

As an MP and and a
mother, we pray that Jo Cox makes a full recovery.

* * *

Update: As
BBG adds, campaigning was suspended in Britain’s European Union
membership referendum after news of the attack, which happened just
before 1 p.m., came out.

* * *

Update: Here
is a photo of Jo Cox' assailant getting arrested. As SkyNews
adds,
"West Yorkshire Police said a 52-year-old man was arrested in
connection with the attack, which happened near the town's library.
Witness Hichem Ben Abdallah said a man "was kicking her as she
was lying on the floor." He said that after a bystander
intervened, the attacker produced a gun, stepped back and shot her
twice."

* * *With tensions in the UK
already running high ahead of next week's historic Brexit vote,
moments ago the Guardian
reported that
Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, was in critical condition after
she was shot and stabbed in her West Yorkshire constituency.
The Labour politician was injured in the attack and there is an
ongoing police operation in the area, a witness told the Press
Association. It is unclear who the assailant was or the motive.

Jo
Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spe

The following statement
has been released from West Yorkshire Police:

"At 12.53
today, police were called to a report of an incident on Market
Street, Birstall, where a woman in her 40s had suffered serious
injuries and is in a critical condition. A man in his late 40s to
early 50s nearby also suffered slight injuries.

Armed officers attended
and a 52-year-old man was arrested in the area. There are no further
details at present. Police presence in the area has been increased as
a reassurance to the community."

The Labour Party have
released the following statement:

"We're aware
of the incident that happened this afternoon. All our thoughts are
with Jo Cox and her family. We cannot give any further updates at
this time."

Armed officers are
reportedly on the scene in Birstall, near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire police said in a tweet: “We are aware of a serious
incident ongoing in Birstall. Details will be released in the press
in due course.”

The attack reportedly
took place near the town’s library, where the MP holds advice
surgeries. Yorkshire ambulance service said it was aware of an
incident but had no further information. According
to a Labour source, Cox was shot and stabbed after she had conducted
her morning surgery for constituents.

Another person, who has
not been identified, was also injured and both were taken to
hospital, the source said. The attack was said to have taken place
sometime after 1pm.

The whole incident lasted
about 15 to 20 minutes according to witness Mr Abdallah, and another
bystander told him Ms Cox had also been stabbed.

He added: "He was
kicking her and he was pulling her by her hair. A very courageous man
from the dry cleaners tried to restrain him and he couldn't stop him
because all of a sudden he pulled a gun. She was a standing still
target for him when he shot her."

Witness Clarke Rothwell
told BBC News said there was an altercation between a man carrying a
gun and Cox. He purposefully targeted her, said Rothwell, who runs
the cafe next to the library where the incident took place.

“He
shot this lady and then shot her again,” he
said. “He
lent down. Someone was wrestling with him and he was wielding a knife
and lunging at her. Three times she was shot. People were trying to
help her. Then
he ran off down a one-way street. Me and my mate drove round to try
and find him.”

According to Sky
News,
which cites a witness: "All
of a sudden this guy in the baseball cap pulled a gun. It
looked like a gun from the First World War, or a handmade gun. He
fired the first shot. I ran away, as everybody else did. All of
a sudden we heard the second shot."

More witness reports via
Sky News:

Witness: "Her
legs were in aid triangular way, like someone on a bed. She was
leaning a bit on the left-hand side, with her hair at the back.
Everybody was crying, the women. I'm absolutely shocked"

Witness: "All
of a sudden we heard the second shot. Obviously, we remained in the
restaurant for a couple of minutes. Then we decided to venture out
and see what had happened. hen we went out and at first I didn't
recognise that it was Jo. A lady was on the floor, her face
bleeding.

Witness: "She
is still alive, I presume she's still alive We believe she is still
alive but her condition has been described as serious. She looked as
though she was still breathing."

Was Brexit a motive? Sky
says that according to a witness report, the assailant
shouted "Britain
First".